School Admissions Guide to In-Year Admissions 2021/2022 In-Year Admissions In-Year admissions refers to admissions into an already established year group i.e years 1 - 6 and 8 – 11. This would also include Reception and Year 7 for people who are moving into the Bracknell Forest area or want to change schools once the academic year has started. This booklet explains how you can apply for Bracknell Forest primary or secondary schools only and you would have to follow this process no matter which Bracknell Forest school you are applying for. If the school you would like to apply for is not a Bracknell Forest school, you must contact the maintaining local authority for the school to obtain details about applying. The School Admissions team is available all school holidays however, we are not available during weekends and bank holidays. There are a number of ways to contact us should you require further information or have any queries regarding our admissions processes. By phone: 01344 354023 The team will be available to answer your calls between 8.30 and midday, each working day. Please note that we can only speak to the parent or carer of the child as named on the application. A number of security questions will also be asked when you call, this is to ensure that your child’s data is protected. By post: School Admissions Team People Directorate Bracknell Forest Council Time Square Market Street Bracknell RG12 1JD By email : [email protected] We aim to respond to all email and written enquiries within 5 school days. This may take longer during busy periods. If your enquiry will take us longer than our normal course of business, it will be sent through Freedom of Information. The Freedom of Information allows 20 days from receipt to respond to the enquiry. You will be informed if your enquiry is being dealt with in this way. If you believe you have a Freedom of Information request, please follow the link below: Freedom of information | Bracknell Forest Council Summaries or extracts of this document can be made available in large print, in Braile or on audio cassette. Copies in other languages may also be obtained. Please note that the information contained in this booklet was current in July 2021. Admission arrangements could be subject to amendment or modification before the start of, or during the school year 2021/22. 1 Contents Useful Contacts 4 Key terms 6 Things to consider before making an application School Brochures and Performance Tables 9 Visits to Schools and Inspection Reports 10 Designated/ Catchment Areas 10 Home Address 10 Child Arrangements Order 11 Denominational ( faith) Grounds 11 Social and Medical Grounds 11 Sustainable transport to school 11 Availability of places 12 How to apply and how the process works In-Year Applications 12 Applications to transfer between Bracknell Forest schools 12 Moving from abroad 13 Service Families 13 Documents required in support of your application 13 How long does the process take 13 Outcome of your application 14 Waiting lists 14 School admissions appeals 15 School Uniform 16 Home-to-School Transport 16 Fair Access Protocol ( FAP) 16 Special Education Needs 16 Split site schools 16 Admissions of children outside their normal age group 17 Changing schools for the new academic year, September 2021 Summer In-Year Applications 17 2 Primary Education in Bracknell Forest Types of schools 18 Admissions Arrangements for Community Primary Schools 19 Admissions Arrangements for Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools 21 Admissions Arrangements for Voluntary Aided Primary Schools 24 Binfield CE Primary 24 St Joseph RC Primary 27 St Michael’s CE Easthampstead 31 St Michael’s CE Sandhurst 37 Admissions Arrangements for Primary Academies 40 Crown Wood Primary 40 Great Hollands Primary 42 Jennett’s Park CE Primary 46 King’s Academy Binfield 52 King’s Academy Oakwood 55 St Margaret Clitherow RC Primary 58 Wildmoor Heath Primary 62 Contact Information for Primary Schools 65 Primary Schools Designated Areas 70 Secondary Education in Bracknell Forest Types of school 71 Admissions Arrangements for Community Secondary Schools 71 Admissions Arrangements for Secondary Academies 73 King’s Academy Binfield 73 Edgbarrow School 76 The Brakenhale School 79 Ranelagh School 82 Applying for year 9, 10 or 11 87 Sixth form 87 University Technical College (UTC) 87 Contact details for Secondary Schools 88 Secondary Schools Designated Areas 90 Forms Examples 91 3 Useful Contacts Bracknell Forest Contacts Education Welfare Service Phone:01344 464721 Email: [email protected] Early Years Team Phone: 01344 352202 Email: [email protected] Democratic Services (for information on school appeals) Phone: 01344 352000 Email: [email protected] Special Educational Needs Team Phone:01344 354048 Email: [email protected] Education Transport Phone: 01344 352002 Email: [email protected] Ofsted Phone: 0300 1234234 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 4 Neighbouring Local Authorities Contacts Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead School Admissions, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF 01628 683870 www.rbwm.gov.uk Wokingham Borough Council School Admissions Team, Wokingham Borough Council, PO Box 156, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1WN 0118 974 6000 www.wokingham.gov.uk Reading Borough Council Admissions Team, Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE 01189373777 www.reading.gov.uk Slough Borough Council Admissions Team, My Council, Landmark Place, High Street, Slough, SL1 1JL 01753 875728 www.slough.gov.uk Hampshire County Council County Admissions Team, Children’s Services Department, The Castle, Winchester, SO23 8UG 03005551377 www.hants.gov.uk Surrey County Council Admissions & Transport Team, Quadrant Court, 35 Guilford Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 7QQ 0300 2001004 www.surreycc.gov.uk 5 Key terms used in this booklet Academies Academies are publicly funded independent schools. Academies don’t have to follow the national curriculum and can set their own term times. They still have to follow the same rules on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as other state schools. Academies get money direct from the government, not the local council. They’re run by an academy trust which employs the staff. Some academies have sponsors such as businesses, universities, other schools, faith groups or voluntary groups. Sponsors are responsible for improving the performance of their schools. Admissions Authority The body that determines the admissions arrangements for a particular school. In the case of community and voluntary controlled schools it is the local authority; in the case of voluntary aided schools, academies it is the Governing Body. Admissions Number This is the maximum number of pupils that a school can admit into each year group without causing prejudice to the provision of efficient education and use of resources. Admissions / Oversubscription Criteria When a school has more applications than places, applications are matched against a list of criteria and ranked accordingly. These criteria are agreed by the LA for community schools and voluntary controlled and by the governing body for church aided schools, academies etc. Council Bracknell Forest Council CE Church of England Community School A school which the local authority maintains from public funds. The admission arrangements for these schools are determined by the LA. The LA is the Admissions Authority for these schools and it is the LA that allocates places. Curriculum A programme of education and other educational activities. Denominational Relating to a particular religious/faith sect or group. Designated/ Catchment area A designated area (catchment area) is a distinct geographical area that is served by a school. 6 DfE Department for Education. This is a Government department. Home address For the purpose of admissions, this is a child’s usual permanent address, where he or she lives with his or her parent/s or carer/s. Please see page 10 for full information regarding home address. LA Local Authority. Bracknell Forest Council is the LA for the purpose of this booklet. LAC This refers to Looked After Children or Previously Looked After Children. All admissions authorities must use LAC as an admission criterion. Please refer to the relevant admission policy for each school for definitions. NOR Number on roll. The total number of pupils on the school register. Ofsted Office for Standards in Education. Oversubscribed school A school where the number of applications for places is more than the number of places that the school has available in a specific year group. Parent Parent is defined under S576 of the Education Act 1996 as: All natural parents, whether they are married or not. Any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person. Or any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person (having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their relationship is with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law). Preferred order This is the ranked order of the schools that you would prefer your child to attend. Radial Distance Radial distance will be based on the co-ordinates for the property and the school as defined in the Local Land and Property Gazetteer and based on the Ordnance Survey’s national system. RC Roman Catholic. 7 Sibling Children are considered siblings if they have brothers or sisters, half brothers or sisters, adopted brothers or sisters, step brothers or sisters, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school is sought is living in the same family unit and at the same address and for whom the applicant has parental responsibility.